Complicated
by MariaClaire
Summary: Figuring out relationships can be complicated. Especially for demigods, and mortals, in the middle of a war with a looming deadline. Told from the points-of-view of Rachel, Percy, and Annabeth, this story takes place a couple weeks before the events in The Last Olympian.
1. Chapter 1

*****A/N: This was supposed to be a one-shot, but then the characters just kept talking to each other, and it ended up with a second chapter. Because writing. The second chapter will be up later this week. **

**This story takes place a couple weeks before the events in **_**The Last Olympian**_** and was partly inspired by shiiki's amazing Daughter of Wisdom series here on FanFiction, which retells the original PJO series from Annabeth's POV. Seriously, the stories are amazing and you should totally check them out, they feel like canon. She's in the process of posting "The Final Sacrifice", which covers the events of TLO, and it reminded me how much I enjoyed the Rachel-Percy-Annabeth tension in that book. So I decided to try writing a story of my own dealing with that situation. **

**Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them for a bit. Also, the last lines of course come from **_**The Lightning Thief.**_

**And warning for a few instances of mild swearing.**

**Also, we are officially only 2 weeks out from **_**The Tyrant's Tomb**_**! Anyone else excited?**

**Okay, end of Author's Note, moving on to the story : )**

* * *

**RACHEL:**

Getting the face right was tricky. The pose was easy enough—Percy had been slumped on her couch for the last half hour, only leaning forward occasionally to grab a handful of chips from the bowl on the splatter-painted coffee table (she'd been inspired by a Jackson Pollock exhibit last summer). Slightly rumpled t-shirt and jeans? No problem, they gave her an excuse to work on shading as she caught the wrinkles right. And the background was a cinch—how many times had she sketched her own room? Probably hundreds of times at this point, so getting the right depth of the couch, stereo, and windows was almost effortless. She left the Manhattan skyline as just a few suggestive lines outside the window frame. The background, after all, wasn't the focus. Percy was the focus. But she couldn't get his face right. With a frustrated sigh, Rachel set down her sketchbook and took a moment to study him again.

Sitting cross-legged on the couch, she observed her friend while tapping her charcoal pencil against her cheek. His messy black hair had turned out really well in charcoal. And his nose had taken no time—straight and nicely proportioned, like a Renaissance statue (which kind of made sense, since his dad was a Greek god and all). Strong jawline, but not heavy. There was something delicate about his bone structure—he was athletic, but in a slender rather than a beefy way. She'd already decided that when she was highlighting the well-defined muscles in his arm. So all of that was fine.

The part giving her trouble was his expression. And she _really _wanted to capture the brooding look on his face. It was one she'd noticed before, usually when he was thinking or talking about stressful demigod situations, and there was something very appealing about it. A lot of times, Percy was goofy and laidback; she'd captured his grin easily enough in other sketches. But she felt like this lost-in-thought look spoke to the hero part of him, the demigod part. The part she couldn't totally understand.

It was like the drawing she'd made of him in Antaeus's arena, when he'd looked terrifyingly fierce and powerful. He was a surprisingly multi-faceted guy, and Rachel found it both challenging and interesting trying to pin down each of his different moods on paper.

_Changeable like the sea_, she thought. Which, again, made perfect sense, considering he was the son of Poseidon.

"You know," Percy finally said, not taking his eyes off her giant flat screen TV, where a Shark Week special was playing, "it's kind of creepy when you just stare at me like that." But when he glanced at her, a hint of a smirk cut through the brooding look.

"Don't flatter yourself," Rachel replied. "I'm just trying to get the sketch right."

That was mostly true anyway.

"If you say so." Percy flashed her a grin, like sunlight breaking through the clouds on his face, and she suddenly realized what she'd missed. It was the little wrinkle between his eyebrows, the way they drew together slightly when he was worried.

As Percy grabbed another handful of blue corn tortilla chips (his favorite, for some reason—Rachel found them a bit bland), she picked up her sketchbook and got back to work. Luckily she'd observed him so closely before and figured out the issue with her drawing because Percy no longer looked brooding. He seemed more relaxed, watching the shark show and tossing corn chips in the air. He managed to catch most of them in his mouth.

"Oh sweet!" he exclaimed, making Rachel jump and slightly smudge his eyebrow. He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. It's just, watch this replay. The shark catches some serious air."

She briefly turned her attention to the television where a massive great white shark had leapt completely out of the water to catch a seal. "Okay, yeah, that's impressive."

"Right?" Percy put his hands behind his head. "Oh wait, did I mess up the pose?"

"You're fine." Rachel waved a hand. "I'm just finishing up the details."

"Okay, cool." Percy leaned back, focusing again on the TV. "I don't usually watch documentaries, that's typically…my friends, but this shark week stuff is pretty sick."

"Yeah, they've got good stuff," Rachel said absently, finishing the shading around his lips and chin. "What documentaries do your other friends watch?"

Percy rubbed his neck. "Oh, um, well, my buddy Grover, you remember him, he's nuts for nature documentaries. Although I don't know how he'd feel about some of these—he might feel bad for the seals."

"Circle of life," Rachel offered and Percy chuckled. They'd watched _The Lion King_ a few weeks ago after she told him it was appalling that he'd never seen it before.

"So just Grover?" Rachel asked as she put the final touches on her sketch.

"Well, and, um, Annabeth," Percy said. "She's crazy for anything about history or buildings. Kind of a nerd. But in a good way," he added hastily.

"Uh-huh." Rachel had observed that most guys didn't have an issue with nerds who were pretty and blonde, but she kept that thought to herself. The brooding look had crept back onto Percy's face. She'd managed to capture it pretty well. But now she wondered if it had to do with more than just monster problems. "Did something happen at camp?"

Her question seemed to jolt him back to the present. "What?"

"You just seem a little distracted today."

"Just a hectic week." Percy crunched another tortilla chip. "We ran two separate raids on some monster strongholds. They weren't particularly successful either. We think there's maybe a spy at camp telling Kronos what we're doing. So both raids kind of felt like a bust. Especially since some campers got hurt in the process, including Annabeth."

"That's awful," Rachel said. "Is everyone okay now?"

"Yeah, mostly minor injuries." He said it casually, like injuries happened frequently. For demigods, maybe they did. But his voice trembled slightly when he continued, saying, "Well, except for Annabeth. She got hurt pretty bad. But she's fine now. Infuriating, but fine."

Rachel considered him. She was hesitant to bring up Annabeth because, well, Rachel had been there in the Labyrinth with the two of them last year. There was clearly something between them, even if they both refused to acknowledge it. But she was also curious. There had to be _some _reason Percy was…such good friends with her. And honestly Rachel had seen glimpses of the kind of person Annabeth could be if she wasn't constantly biting your head off. They'd had a halfway decent conversation about New York landmark buildings, after all. Summoning a small portion of courage, Rachel asked, "So what's her deal? Like, what's her story?"

"What do you mean? Annabeth's?"

"Yeah." Rachel flipped to a clean page in her sketchbook, doodling absentmindedly. "Like, okay, so her mom's Athena, right?"

"Yeah."

"So who's her dad? What's he like?"

"He's a military history professor out in San Francisco." Percy looked a bit uncomfortable. "They've had a rocky relationship, but it's better now."

"So did you guys start going to camp at the same time?" Rachel embossed the "CHB" she'd drawn on the corner of her page.

"Nah, she'd already been there almost five years when I showed up."

Rachel's head jerked up. "Really? Five years?"

"Yeah. She got there when she was seven. Long story. But she pretty much lived there year round until she volunteered to go on my first quest."

"She volunteered?"

Percy smiled ruefully. "Yeah."

He didn't elaborate, seemingly lost in thought again. Rachel's stomach twisted. As casually as she could, she asked, "So have you guys gone on a lot of quests like the one last summer? Is that how this whole hero thing works?"

"Pretty much." Percy put his hands behind his head again, sinking back into the cushions with a sigh. "So that first quest, we were trying to find Zeus's stolen lightning bolt."

"Zeus's what now?"

"Oh you heard me right. Just the most powerful weapon in the universe, no big deal. And it got stolen and Zeus assumed I did it because my dad's Poseidon."

"But you didn't?"

"Hell no! I'm not a thief. Turned out it was Luke, but we didn't know that 'til later."

"Luke…the guy I threw the hairbrush at?"

"Technically that was Kronos, in Luke's body, but yeah." Percy shot her an appreciative look. "That was a pretty sweet throw, by the way."

Rachel felt her cheeks heat up. "Thanks. So how did you find the lightning bolt?"

"Annabeth, Grover, and I had to travel across the country to Los Angeles, where the entrance to the Underworld is."

"Naturally."

"Right. Because everyone figured if it wasn't me, Hades must have stolen the bolt. Anyway, it was rough. None of us really had any clue what we were doing. We blew up a bus in New Jersey while fighting the Furies, ran into Medusa, I fought a chimera and torched the St. Louis Arch, and there was a whole thing with an abandoned waterpark in Denver and a casino in Vegas. Then when we finally got to the Underworld, it turned out Hades never had the bolt. Ares took it from Luke and…anyway, it was complicated. Point is, we _did_ recover it and get it back to Zeus."

"Wow." Rachel added some shattered glass to her doodle of the exploding bus. Then realization struck her. "Wait…are you _that _Percy Jackson? The kid all the newspeople were talking about a few years ago?"

"Guilty. Except, I mean, I wasn't. It was mostly the Mist."

"I can't believe I never put that together before." Rachel shook her head. Thankfully her parents had also missed the connection. "You know, you might be trouble."

"I've heard that before."

Rachel erased a line and redrew it. "Was the Labyrinth your second quest then?"

"It was like the fourth or fifth," Percy admitted. He tilted his head and muttered, "When did I go with Nico and Thalia to the Underworld? And does helping Clarisse with a chariot situation count?" He shook his head. "Whatever. It was like the fourth maybe. The second quest was in the Sea of Monsters. Bermuda Triangle, you know."

"Of course," Rachel said faintly. "Why'd you have to go there?"

"To keep Grover from having to marry a Cyclops and to find the Golden Fleece," Percy said matter-of-factly. Again, he gave her the broad overview of the quest, which included him being turned into a guinea pig by a sorceress ("Annabeth saved me there") and fighting the massive Cyclops who had the Fleece and alternately wanted to marry or eat his friends.

"Okay, so you found Zeus's lightning bolt and the legendary Golden Fleece." Rachel flipped to a new sketchpad page; the previous one was filled up by a picture of a Cyclops holding a guinea pig. "You know I have to ask what the third one was."

Percy was quiet for a few moments. She almost thought he'd gone back to watching the shark show because his eyes were fixed on the television screen. Finally he said, "That one was a little tough. We—we lost a few friends along the way, including Nico's sister, Bianca."

"Oh. I'm so sorry," Rachel said.

"That was hard," Percy admitted. "See, we were trying to rescue the goddess Artemis and—and Annabeth. They kind of got kidnapped by the Titan Atlas."

"Like 'holds up the sky' Atlas?"

"That's the one." By the time Percy finished relating the events of that quest, Rachel was appropriately stunned.

"So that's what you were doing at the Hoover Dam?"

"Running from skeletons and trying to get to San Francisco? Yeah."

"And Grover was responsible for starting that food fight in the cafeteria?"

"He's talented that way."

"Huh." Rachel drew her knees up to rest her sketchbook against them, facing Percy as he lounged on the other end of the couch. The Discovery Channel had moved on to covering whale sharks now. "And last summer was finding Daedalus in the Labyrinth. And this summer you've been doing a lot of smaller quests?"

"More like raids. We've been trying to take out small groups of monsters, put a dent in Lu—Kronos's forces," Percy explained. "They're not technically quests, I guess. Normally, for an official quest, you have to go to the Oracle and get a prophecy."

"A prophecy? Like one that tells the future?" A strange tingle ran down Rachel's spine.

"Yeah, sort of. I mean, they do tell the future, but they're usually pretty vague and full of cheerful stuff like betrayal and loss. And they only really make sense _after _everything comes to pass."

"Interesting," Rachel said slowly. An image from a dream flashed through her mind, of a three-legged stool sitting beside a dusty window. "But you aren't getting any this summer? Prophecies, I mean."

"Nah, we've been doing too many small runs. Doesn't make sense to bother the Oracle." Percy picked at some frayed threads surrounding a hole in his jeans. "Plus there's already the Great Prophecy to worry about, so…" his voice trailed off, but Rachel knew what he was talking about. The prophecy that said he would make a choice that could save or destroy Olympus by his sixteenth birthday. Which was in just a couple weeks.

That reminded Rachel of something. "Not to change the subject…"

Percy chuckled. He seemed a lot less moody now. "I am totally down with a subject change."

"Good. Because I've been meaning to ask you something." Rachel took a deep breath. "My family is going to St. Thomas in a couple weeks and my dad said I could bring a friend. Would you like to go?" She said the last part very fast.

Percy's eyes widened. He looked down and started fidgeting with the hole in his jeans again. "Rachel, I—thanks, that sounds great actually, but I'm kind of on call for this major mission. It's really not a good time to leave."

Rachel tapped her pencil against her sketchbook. The thought of Percy coming along too was about the only thing that made the idea of the trip bearable. And no, that was not just because she'd also imagined walking hand in hand with him on the beach or—better to stop that train of thought before it went completely off the rails. She wanted to push him harder for an answer, but doubted it would do any good. "Just think about it, okay? If you go, I might actually enjoy the trip."

"Okay," he relented with a small smile. "I'll think about it."

"Great," Rachel said. "So these whale sharks—they're not actually dangerous, are they?"

They spent the rest of the evening watching Shark Week, eating snacks, listening to music, and basically just hanging out. No more demigod or vacation talk.

Later that night, long after Percy had left, Rachel sat straight up in bed, gasping. It was the nightmares again. She'd been having them off and on ever since she'd gone into the Labyrinth last year. Cold beads of sweat dotted her forehead and she brushed them away with a shaking hand. Maybe it was just because of Percy's quest stories earlier, but the nightmares had been even more frighteningly vivid than usual tonight.

Throwing back the covers, she swung her legs out of bed and reached for her dressing gown. She went immediately to a blank canvas set up on an easel in the corner, then stood there, not sure where to start. It was impossible to make sense of the jumbled images in her mind: Percy, expression fierce, staring down an army beside a river; the grinning face of a young blonde boy who seemed vaguely familiar; a girl in armor crumpling to the ground, clutching her shoulder; a mummy perched on a stool as dust swirled around her, almost like it was trying to take form; and most disturbing of all, an army gathered at the base of the Empire State Building while a storm churned in the distance and a giant hand swooped out of the clouds.

Unease settled over her shoulders. She didn't understand what it all meant yet. Hopefully, Percy would be able to go on the trip with them and they could talk more about it then. He'd help her figure it out.

In the meantime, something told her she needed to capture these images before she forgot. Somehow, they were important. Thinking of the drawing she'd done of Percy earlier, Rachel picked up her charcoal pencil and began to sketch the smiling blonde boy.

* * *

**PERCY:**

Percy couldn't sleep. He'd been tossing and turning for what felt like forever with no luck. His stupid brain wouldn't shut off. He'd even tried reading because that usually frustrated or bored him enough that he'd eventually drift off, but tonight, no luck.

With a groan and a muttered curse, he gave up. He didn't even bother to turn on his light, just threw off his blankets and padded into the hallway. A strip of light outlined his parents' bedroom door. Even through the closed door, Percy could hear Paul's rumbling snores, but he guessed that his mom was still awake, probably working on her novel at her desk under the window. He doubted she would care that he was awake too. It was summer break, after all, not a school night. So he did the only thing that sounded appealing at the moment: went to the living room and turned on his video game console.

The great thing about video games was that they kept his hands busy and while part of his mind focused on the game, the other part could drift to different topics. Tonight, it went first to Rachel's vacation offer. And he couldn't lie, it was tempting. A five-star resort beach vacation? With Rachel? Hard to turn down. But every time he let himself consider the possibility or imagine walking down the beach with Rachel, maybe holding hands or…his mind tugged in a different direction.

There _was_ the _Princess Andromeda _mission coming up, and that was obviously a huge issue. He was crucial to that plan. But if he was being honest, at least with himself, at least for a minute as his fingers worked the controller and part of his mind was occupied by the game, the mission wasn't the issue. The mission wasn't the reason he was hesitating. The real issue, the real reason, was Annabeth.

Annabeth would go ballistic if he went on vacation with Rachel.

"But it's not like," he muttered to himself, punching the buttons a little more forcefully than necessary, "I mean, we're not…I don't owe…it's none of her…" He couldn't finish any of those sentences. The truth was, for all that they argued, especially over the past year, he didn't really want to upset her. He definitely didn't want to hurt her.

Percy winced as his on-screen character died. The brief pause before he regenerated gave his brain enough time to jump to a different, but related, train of thought. He'd been more worried than he'd wanted to admit when Annabeth came back injured from the raid in Boston. She had gone with Clarisse, Silena, Katie Gardiner, and Nyssa Barrera to break up a coven of _empousai_. Apparently when they arrived, though, there were less monsters than they'd expected. But the remaining few still fought like, well, like demons.

When their pegasi landed at camp after the raid, it was clear there'd been a hard fight. Silena had only minor scrapes and bruises, but she looked a little shell-shocked. Nyssa had a hastily constructed splint on her left arm and a thin cut on her cheek. Clarisse had a black eye and a bloody nose, though she pretended they didn't bother her. Katie had taken a bad hit to the shoulder. Her t-shirt sleeve was in bloody tatters. But Annabeth had been the worst. Her face was ghostly pale and she probably would have fallen off her pegasus if Percy hadn't caught her. She was covered in blood from three deep cuts in her side.

"_Empousa _clawed her," Clarisse growled. "Frickin' demons."

"Said she was friends with Kelli," Annabeth murmured. Her fingers loosely clutched Percy's shirt. "Called me 'Kelli-killer.'"

"I told you to be careful," was all he could think to say.

"Thanks, that's helpful," she muttered.

Percy stayed by her bed in the infirmary long after Will had fixed her up and declared she'd be fine. He'd watched the color slowly return to her face while she slept and tried to tell himself he wasn't completely terrified at the idea of losing her.

Of course, they'd argued the next morning when she'd insisted she was fine to go on the raid to take out a monster stronghold in Trenton, New Jersey with him, Beckendorf, and Michael Yew. Percy, maybe unwisely, told her she was crazy to think she could go again after coming back injured yesterday.

"It's my plan, Percy," she'd snapped, eyes flashing. "I'm going."

Unfortunately for him and his point, it was a good thing she went. This time there were twice as many monsters as they'd expected, which meant changing things up on the fly—literally, since they'd been utilizing the pegasi again. The winged horses were getting a workout, and plenty of treats, this summer.

The raid was an epic fail. Beckendorf had a few modified grenades he'd dropped into the monster horde and Michael took a few out with some sweet sonic arrows, plus a few regular ones, but basically it ended in the demigods making a hasty strategic retreat. And, even more fun, he and Annabeth had bickered about it all the way from Trenton back to Long Island.

But it had been the next day when they'd had the really bad argument, even by the standards of this summer.

They'd been sparring in the arena and she'd gotten annoyed with him for holding back.

"My bad." He wiped the sweat out of his eyes, trying to force down his own irritation. "I guess I was just thinking about the fact that _you almost died_ two days ago, Annabeth. You shouldn't be over-exerting yourself."

"I'm fine, Percy. It's not your job to worry about me."

That stung, but he ignored it. "I'm just saying, you're not going to do anybody any good if you pass out or get stuck in the infirmary."

"And _I'm _just saying that you need to be training hard, full-out every time. Let's go again." Before he could protest, she came at him, violent, deadly, and beautiful, forcing him to throw all his energy into the fight.

Finally, when Percy's arms were shaking and Annabeth's face was getting pale again, they called it a draw and stepped back, both covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

"That was better." Annabeth dabbed her forehead with her sleeve. "But you need to try and _anticipate_, Percy. Look ahead in the fight and strategize. Think about what moves your opponent's going to make next."

"I can try, but that's usually your method, not mine," he pointed out. "I just kind of feel the moment. And it's worked so far."

"So far," Annabeth agreed. "But if…if it comes down to you having to fight Kronos, you need as many different tools in your arsenal as possible."

Percy held up his sword. "But I'm pretty happy with Riptide."

"That's not what I meant and you know it," she said in a low voice.

"Geez, sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood."

"Dammit, Percy," Annabeth burst out. She actually stomped her foot. "Focus!"

"What the hell, Annabeth? I _am _focused. I've been focused on sparring with you for the last two hours. Sue me for wanting to take a break."

"You're not taking this seriously."

"How am I not taking this seriously? Anytime we're not running another damn raid, I'm training."

"Except for the times you leave camp."

Her words crashed to the ground between them like a boulder.

"I'm allowed to take a break," Percy said, fighting to keep his voice even.

"Sure. Because it's impossible to take a break here, with the beach and the campfire and…"

"I just need to get away, okay?" Frustration surged through him. Why couldn't she just understand? "It's too much pressure, all the time. And it's like I can hear the countdown to my frickin' birthday! So yeah, sometimes I need to step away. And I don't know why you keep making me feel bad about that."

Annabeth took a step back. Her voice shook as she said, "I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I just wish…never mind."

"What?"

"I just wish you wanted to be here." She crossed her arms, not meeting his eyes.

Percy's anger drained away. "It's not that I don't want to be here. I just have to remind myself that the rest of the world is still out there. It's nice to feel normal."

"Normal." Annabeth laughed bitterly. "Except you're not."

Instantly, his anger resurfaced. "Oh thanks. That's really nice."

"Well you're not!" she shot back. "I'm not! No one here is." She gestured to the camp. "That's what it means to be a half-blood, Percy. It's more than normal, better than normal."

"Yeah, well, I didn't ask to be a half-blood."

"None of us did! But we are. _You _are. And as far as I can tell, you're the only one throwing a pity party—"

"Are you kidding me? It's okay to admit that I'm stressed—"

"But you're not! You're not admitting anything. All you do is leave."

They were barely a foot apart, both breathing hard. Annabeth's face was red, either from the workout or the yelling, Percy wasn't sure. Her eyes, locked on his, were fierce. He'd seen that look on her face before, but it was usually directed at monsters, not him. It also reminded him, fleetingly, of Mt. St. Helens. And suddenly he heard her words in a very different way.

"Annabeth—" He wasn't even sure how he was going to finish that sentence, but she didn't give him a chance.

"Whatever, Percy. Never mind." She stepped away from him and stuck her knife back in its sheath. "If you want to leave, just go. Go be normal." And she left the arena without looking back.

Remembering the argument now, a few days later, Percy didn't feel angry about it anymore. Mostly he just felt tired and sad. Why did everything have to be so damn complicated?

He lost himself in his game for a while, working out his frustrations by annihilating bad guys and completing a mission. It felt nice to succeed at something, even something as mundane as a video game. He set the controller down and stretched, yawning. Thinking of success reminded him of his afternoon at Rachel's, telling her about all his different quests, the seemingly impossible challenges he and his friends had faced and overcome over the past few years.

He also thought about some of the things he _hadn't _shared with Rachel. Like Annabeth's panic attack over the spiders at Waterland. Or their experience in Siren Bay. Or the fact that he hadn't initially been part of the quest to find Artemis, and Annabeth, but he'd gone anyway because how could he have done anything else?

And Mt. St. Helens. He thought about Mt. St. Helens and what happened in the heart of the volcano.

He was pulled from his thoughts when his mom walked into the room in her old blue flannel bathrobe, yawning. She stopped when she saw him. "Oh, Percy, I didn't realize you were still awake."

"Couldn't sleep," he confessed and gestured to the TV. "Thought I'd play a game for a bit. How's the novel coming along?"

"Slowly but surely." His mom gave him a tired smile. "Actually, I just came out here to make a cup of cocoa before going to bed. Would you like to join me?"

"Are there blue marshmallows?"

"Of course."

"Heck yeah."

Over the cocoa, she told him about her book and how she'd stayed up late to finish a scene she'd been stuck on. "I talked part of it through with Paul earlier and that really helped. Sometimes just talking to someone about a problem helps us figure out a solution." She raised an eyebrow pointedly as she took a sip.

"Subtle, Mom," Percy said, and they both laughed. He fished a marshmallow out of his cocoa, trying to figure out what to say. There were a million things running through his mind but what he actually blurted out was, "Why are girls so complicated?"

His mom laughed again, but gently, more like she was laughing at the weirdness of the world, not at him. "Oh honey, I'm sorry, but I don't have a good answer for that one. The best I can tell you is that people don't always say what they're really thinking or feeling. Maybe they're nervous or scared or maybe they don't even know for sure how they feel. But it can definitely make things confusing." She took another drink of cocoa, studying him thoughtfully. "Truthfully, honey, that never goes away. All relationships, even family relationships and friendships, are going to be complicated sometimes."

"I guess that's true." Percy cupped his hands around his mug. "I just wish things didn't have to be so hard all the time."

"I can't imagine a war helps," his mom offered.

"No, that definitely causes more problems." He took a gulp of his hot chocolate. Keeping his eyes on his mug, he said, "I just want to do the right thing, Mom."

She reached across the table to put her hand on his forearm. "Percy, look at me." Reluctantly, he raised his head and met his mom's eyes. "I know you've never had it easy, honey. But I also know that you are a good person with a good heart. Trust that. Listen to it, and everything will work out." She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze, then sat back. "And not that we're talking about anyone specific when it comes to complicated girls, but I might have some advice, if you want it."

He laughed hoarsely. "Sure, Mom. I could use it."

"Again, not that I'm talking about anyone specific." She took another sip of cocoa. "But speaking hypothetically, I would suggest you remember that you guys have been friends for a long time and you clearly care about each other. And maybe, with everything else going on, now isn't the easiest time to define what that means. But the friendship is the foundation and it's important. It's okay to admit you care about someone, Percy," she added softly. "Even though caring also means you have to be afraid of losing them."

It had to be a mom skill, Percy thought as he nodded, then took a long drink of cocoa. He hadn't even told his mom everything, yet she'd still somehow cut right to the heart of his problem. "Thanks, Mom. I'll—I'll think about it."

She reached over to give his arm another squeeze. "Anything else?"

Percy twisted his mug in his hands. "Um, well, Rachel invited me to go on vacation with her family to St. Thomas."

"Oh." His mom's eyes widened slightly. "That's nice of her."

"Yeah. But I don't know if—I mean, would I even be allowed to go?"

"Maybe, honey, if her parents will be there. And as long as you had separate rooms, of course."

Percy was sure he'd just turned bright red. "Obviously, Mom. And besides, it's not like that. I mean, we're not even…we're really just friends."

"Mmhm." How was it possible for his mom to knowingly sip her cocoa? Percy took another gulp of his just as his mom asked, "But another question is _can _you go? Can you be that far away from camp right now? Not that I wouldn't rather have you safely far away on a beach," she added quickly, "but I know that may not be your reality at the moment."

"That _is_ another problem," he admitted. "I'm kind of on call for a pretty important mission. And—and there are other reasons."

"More complicated reasons?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Well, honey, you'll figure it out. If you decide you want to go, we'll discuss it. If not, that's perfectly fine, too. I'll always support you, Percy. Trust yourself to make the right choice."

A little later, back in his bed and finally feeling sleepy, Percy thought about what his mom had said. Especially about friendship being a foundation. He thought Annabeth would like that analogy, considering her architecture obsession. He'd realized, after telling Rachel about their quests and after talking to his mom, just how much he missed his best friend. With the stress of the war getting in the way, among other things, they'd lost that a bit this summer. Maybe even over the past year. But hopefully it wasn't too late to fix things.

His last thought as he drifted to sleep was an old memory of Annabeth curled up in the back of a zoo truck, using a backpack for a pillow, and saying, "I just know I'll fight next to you…because you're my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?"


	2. Chapter 2

**PERCY:**

He woke up the next morning to an I-M of Beckendorf hovering next to his bed.

Percy yelped in surprise, got tangled in the sheets, fell out of bed, and hit the floor, hard.

Somehow Beckendorf kept a straight face, though it appeared to be taking a lot of effort. "Rise and shine, man. Training exercise. Meet us at the dockyards in Jersey in an hour."

Groaning, Percy gave a thumbs up to show he'd understood, then swiped through the image. It was not, he decided, a great way to start the day.

After snagging a quick breakfast, Percy told his mom good-bye and that he'd probably head straight back to camp after training. "And, uh, thanks for the cocoa last night. And everything else."

"Anytime, dear." She kissed his cheek. "Stay safe."

"I'll do my best."

Blackjack didn't respond when he whistled, so Percy was forced to take public transportation. It took longer than he'd planned, so it was more like an hour and a half after Beckendorf's call when he finally arrived at the dockyards in New Jersey. It really wasn't a place where a bunch of teenagers should be hanging out, but it was a perfect place to do training runs for the _Princess Andromeda _mission.

Beckendorf was already there, along with Silena and Annabeth. Percy's heart did a strange little tap dance when he saw Annabeth, even though her arms were crossed and her lips were pursed. She greeted him with, "You're half an hour late, Seaweed Brain."

Annoyance flickered through him, but it was extinguished by a sudden pang of missing her. "Sorry. Blackjack didn't answer my whistle, so I had to take the subway. And a ferry. And then a bus. Luckily I didn't blow it up."

Annabeth's lips twitched like she'd almost smiled. "That _is _always a possibility with you."

He met her eyes and offered an apologetic smile, which she returned. Beckendorf and Silena strolled over before they could say anything else. Percy noticed _they_ didn't seem too bothered by the half hour delay.

"Ready to make a few more practice runs?" Beckendorf asked.

"Let's do it," Percy replied. He looked at the two pegasi and realized something. "Where's Blackjack? When he didn't answer me, I figured he was already here."

"Annabeth and I were talking," Silena said, "and we thought it made sense to practice with a couple of the other pegasi, too, so there are backups in case Blackjack is gone or, I don't know, gets sick or something."

"It's always good to have a backup plan," Annabeth added. "Or two. So we brought Guido and Porkpie."

Percy nodded slowly, turning the idea over. "Makes sense. Let's try it out."

"Good luck, Charlie." Silena kissed him on the lips. Annabeth was studiously focused on the abandoned ships and Percy took the opportunity to toss his duffel bag down next to a streetlight. Becknedorf cleared his throat when he and Silena broke apart, then said, "Alright then. Let's go."

They practiced for several hours, running different possible scenarios with both pegasi. Percy realized quickly that it had been a good idea to practice with different horses because they definitely needed coaching on the combat situations. It also helped to have the girls there. Silena had great suggestions for how to best utilize the pegasi's maneuverability and what might push their limits too far. She also offered suggestions for what to do if an animal was injured midflight. Meanwhile, Annabeth made some helpful points about stealth, their best advantage on this particular mission. With everything, Percy was feeling pretty good, surprisingly, by the time they called it a day around noon. He was also really hot and thirsty. The summer sun was brutal today.

"Any idea yet _when _this is going down?" he asked before taking a swig from Annabeth's water bottle, since he hadn't thought to bring his own.

Beckendorf shook his head. "Could be any time. We just have to stand ready and wait for our opportunity."

"The ship moves around constantly," Annabeth said. She held out her hand and Percy passed her water back. After taking a drink, she continued, "And it travels faster than a ship that large should be able to go. We noticed that before, remember?"

"Yeah." Percy stole the water bottle again. "It's got to be magically enhanced somehow."

"Point is," Beckendorf said, "it's nearly impossible to pin down. By the time we get a report on a location, it's too late."

"We just have to keep trying," Silena offered. "I'm sure an opportunity will turn up."

"Here's hoping." Percy took another drink of water, then handed the bottle back to Annabeth. "Thanks."

"No problem." Annabeth tipped the bottle back and Percy found his eyes drawn to her throat. When he realized he was staring, he blinked and tried to look at something else, but all he found himself doing was noticing that the humid air had made her hair extra curly today.

He suddenly realized Beckendorf had said something. "Huh, what?"

"I said, we should get back to camp so we can grab lunch." Beckendorf was fighting a smile. Silena was openly smirking. Thankfully Annabeth was turned around putting her water bottle away in her backpack, oblivious to the whole thing. Beckendorf shook his head, then asked, "Are you coming back with us?"

"Yeah," Percy said. "That's where I want to be right now."

"Really?" Annabeth spun to face him. The hopeful sparkle in her eyes made everything inside him feel light as air. In that moment, he would have promised almost anything to keep her looking at him like that.

"Really."

"Cool," Beckendorf said. He threw Percy his duffel bag. "Then let's get out of here before the security guys show up again."

* * *

**ANNABETH:**

After dinner, Annabeth went back to her cabin to dive into Daedalus's laptop again. She'd spent most of the afternoon sitting cross-legged on her bunk, scanning through programs and files, searching for anything that might be useful for the battle everyone knew was coming. It was important work that needed to be done. She definitely wasn't just using it as an excuse to avoid a certain kelp-headed son of Poseidon.

The day had been going well, even after Percy showed up half an hour late in New Jersey. Which wouldn't have been such a huge issue, but it had meant Annabeth was left alone for an extra half hour with Silena and Beckendorf. They _were_ cute together, and she was glad they were happy, but she had not been in the mood this morning to play third wheel on their impromptu date time.

However, things had improved from there. The training runs had gone smoothly, she and Percy were getting along, and, best of all, he said he wanted to come back to camp. They only had two pegasi, which meant Beckendorf and Silena taking one, leaving the other for her and Percy. There were definitely butterflies in her stomach as she wrapped her arms around his waist. The back of his t-shirt was a little bit sweaty, but he smelled like fresh sea air.

"You ready?" he asked. When she nodded, he told Guido to take off. The ascent was steep and Annabeth tightened her arms around Percy's waist. He was holding onto Guido's mane with one hand, but with the other he gripped her arm. The butterflies fluttered a little more wildly. It was a small gesture, but she appreciated it, and was a tiny bit disappointed when he let go once Guido leveled out.

"That went well today, right?" Percy turned slightly so he could look at her.

"I think so. Do you feel good about the plan?"

"Definitely. I think it's solid. I mean, no surprise, since you came up with it." He flashed her a grin and the butterflies danced. The grin faded, though, as he said, "I just wish we knew when it'll be. I hate waiting."

"Me too." Without thinking about it, she rested her chin on his shoulder. Trying to track the cruise ship's movements and pin down its precise location was making her crazy. "The good news is it hasn't left the East Coast in a while. It's staying close, which helps. But Malcolm pointed out the other day that there's something disturbing about all its stops and about the reports we're getting on monster locations."

"Oh goody," Percy said. "Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not. It looks like the Titans are pulling their troops into a tighter and tighter circle, like they're really positioning them to be ready for a battle. With a clear central point."

"Bet I can guess. Manhattan."

"Bingo."

They were quiet for a minute. Annabeth suddenly realized just how much she was leaning on Percy and sat up straighter. He didn't seem to notice as he said, "If we could take out that ship it'll cripple Kronos. He'll lose transportation _and _a literal boatload of monsters."

"That's the idea, Seaweed Brain."

She should have known, in that moment, that everything was going too well. It felt so easy for a change. Percy was coming back to camp, they were having a comfortable conversation, and it was kind of nice to be sitting so close to him. Basically, everything was good.

And then naturally, he had to go and ruin it.

"I was talking to, um, Rachel yesterday. She asked if we do quests like the Labyrinth a lot, so I was telling her about all the different quests we've been on together."

"Um, okay." Annabeth leaned back. She wanted to slide away and cross her arms, but she also didn't want to fall off a pegasus a thousand feet above Long Island.

Percy's shoulders twitched like he'd winced. He seemed to realize he'd messed up. "I mean, she just asked what your story was, so I told her how you'd been at camp since you were seven and how you volunteered for my first quest and how we tracked down the master bolt and the Fleece and—"

"And how is any of that _Rachel's _business?" Annabeth fought to keep her voice even, but she didn't think she'd succeeded. How could he, though? Those were _their _stories. If he wanted to spend time reminiscing with somebody, why hadn't he come to her?

"She wasn't prying or being nosy. She went into the Labyrinth with us last year, Annabeth—"

"Yeah, I remember."

The muscles in his jaw clenched. "—so she knows a little bit about demigod stuff and she just wanted to know about other quests I'd done. That's all."

"Uh-huh."

"Gods, you're so hard to talk to sometimes!"

"Then maybe you just shouldn't talk to me," she snapped, stung by his words.

"Maybe I won't."

"Fine."

"Fine."

They flew for a few miles in silence. Annabeth was barely holding onto Percy's waist with her fingertips, doing the bare minimum to keep from falling off Guido's back. The butterflies in her stomach had all flown away. She tried to convince herself it was just the wind making her eyes water.

They were nearly to camp when Percy sighed. "Look, just so you know, I only gave Rachel like the broad strokes of our quests. There were a lot of things I didn't tell her." He paused, but when she said nothing, he continued. "Like about how you ran away and that's why you ended up at camp when you were seven. Or about the spiders at Waterland. Or the zoo truck, or…well, there were a lot of things I didn't tell her." Percy glanced back at her and Annabeth reluctantly met his eyes. Well, _eye_, really, since she could only see one with his head turned. "I would never break your confidence, Annabeth. I hope you know that."

She wet her lips, which had dried out in the wind. "Did you—did you tell her about the Sirens?"

"No way." Percy shook his head vehemently. "I would never tell anyone about that. It's just between you and me. I promise."

"Okay then." The butterflies cautiously swooped back at the words "just between you and me" and suddenly things didn't seem so bad.

"Although…" Percy tilted his head and she thought, _Oh no_. "There _were _some fish staring at us while we were underwater. I told them to get lost, but there's a strong possibility they spread rumors about us all over the ocean. Marlin love to gossip."

Annabeth couldn't help it. She laughed. Then she smacked his shoulder. "You're such an idiot, sometimes." But there was no bite to her words and the answering grin he threw her made it clear he knew that.

So they'd parted at camp on decent terms and Annabeth hadn't wanted to risk messing up the afternoon with another argument, so she'd avoided him by throwing herself into Daedalus's laptop and battle strategy.

It had been like this between them all summer, an exhausting pendulum of emotions swinging from wanting to strangle each other to, well, definitely _not _wanting to strangle each other. The stress of the war wasn't helping anything either. They'd been running so many raids that everyone, most especially the senior counselors, was exhausted and overwhelmed. But there had been a few little moments here and there where she could almost let herself hope that maybe, if there was ever time to breathe, they could figure things out.

Like last week, when the head counselors had been meeting to decide what to do about a report of an _empousai _coven in Boston. Annabeth had discovered the satyr Myron's report that morning while sorting through Chiron's correspondence. She'd been walking around with Percy while he inspected the cabins. He was _way _too generous on acceptable cleanliness, but she hadn't bugged him about it today, especially not after she read the report. Once everyone was gathered in the Big House rec room, she slapped the crumbling leaf with its message onto the ping pong table. "_Empousai_. A whole squad of them. In Boston."

"And Myron is sure?" Chiron asked.

"Positive," Annabeth replied. "He stumbled on them while his summer school group was taking a field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts, then went back and did some reconnaissance later. At least a dozen, he said." Annabeth pressed her fingers hard against the edge of the table. "And they're…they're feeding."

Winces and disgusted groans broke out around the table. _Empousai_ were essentially vampires, after all.

"You got all that from a little leaf?" Connor Stoll asked skeptically, eyeing the snippet of greenery.

"Of course not," Annabeth said. "Percy and I sent him an I-M to confirm."

"Which is why I say this raid is a bad idea." Percy was slouched in his chair, hands gripping his armrests. "Were you listening when he described what they did to that one guy? Like sharks in a feeding frenzy."

"Which is why _I _said it should be female heroes only," Annabeth shot back. "_Empousai _tricks are most effective on males."

"I'll go," Clarisse volunteered immediately. "Kick those she-devils straight back to Tartarus."

"I'll go too," Katie Gardiner spoke up. When everyone looked at her in surprise, she added quietly, "An _empousa_ got a friend of mine this spring. They need to be stopped."

Annabeth nodded. "So Clarisse, Katie, me, and…Silena? Will you come too? Children of Aphrodite have a natural immunity to the type of sorcery the _empousai _use."

Silena bit her lip, tugging at her silver bracelet, but she nodded.

"You also might want to talk to Nyssa," Beckendorf suggested. "I don't want to volunteer her, but I know she's been experimenting with different types of grenades—smoke bombs, Celestial bronze shrapnel, things like that. Could be helpful."

"Great." Annabeth's eyes flicked to the leopard-patterned clock on the wall. It was barely 10am. "Be ready to leave after lunch."

They all agreed and shortly after that the meeting broke up. Annabeth walked down the porch steps with her mind racing. Gods, she hadn't thought about Boston in years, not since that Thanksgiving when her father, aunt, and uncle had that huge fight. Not that she was going to have time for a family reunion now. _Focus_, she scolded herself. She need to check her laptop for any useful information on Boston, the museum, or _empousai_. She needed to pack. She needed to strategize. She needed—

"Annabeth, wait!"

Percy jumped three steps to land beside her in the grass. For a moment her heart fluttered at the idea that he was so eager to talk to her, but it flopped when he said, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Annabeth was instantly irritated. What did he even know? He'd been gone, back in the mortal world, for almost a week and only returned to camp yesterday. She doubted he'd even heard some of the recent news about increased monster attacks and demigods lost to either the Titan lord's army or the monsters. "Of course I'm sure. You heard what Myron said. We can't let them keep murdering innocent people."

"I guess." Percy fidgeted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But he also said there were at least a dozen _empousai_. Do you really think five demigods is enough? I mean, there were only two in my school last year and I barely survived, even with Rachel's help."

"Well _you're _a guy and Rachel's a mortal," Annabeth said icily. Clearly he'd forgotten who stabbed Kelli in the back last summer and kept his stupid face from being bitten off. "So yes, I think five female demigods can handle it. Plus we can use stealth to our advantage, so hopefully it won't even come to full combat."

Percy raised his hands in surrender. "Look, I'm not trying to have an argument here. I'm just saying, you know, make sure to consider all the angles."

"Seriously? Wow, that never came up in my years of studying strategy."

Percy exhaled heavily. "Forget it. I'll see you later, Annabeth."

Annoyance and guilt swirled in her chest as she watched him walk away, hands shoved in his pockets. It would be so easy to stand here and say nothing. To let him go. _A single choice shall end his days_.

It was the end of July. His birthday was in less than three weeks.

"Percy, wait!" He stopped and slowly looked up as she jogged the few steps towards him. "I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to help. But it's been a hard week." She hated the tears pricking her eyes. "A hard summer."

"It's been hard on me, too," he said in a low voice.

"I know."

Their eyes met. Then, unexpectedly, he stepped forward and hugged her. A jolt went through Annabeth at the contact, especially when Percy whispered, "Just be careful, okay?" When she nodded, he stepped back, a small smile on his face. "We need you here at camp."

Annabeth's head was still buzzing from the hug, but she kept her eyes locked on his as she said quietly, "We need you here, too."

Percy dropped his eyes, the smile fading. He shoved his hands in his pockets again. "I know. I'm doing my best."

"I believe you." And she did, deep down. He might not know the full prophecy yet, but he knew the deadline. It wasn't that he didn't deserve a break. She just wished…well, she wasn't sure exactly what she wished.

_Are you sure you don't know? _said an obnoxious little voice in the back of her mind.

Percy glanced up and managed a small smile again. "I'll come say good-bye before you guys leave. Promise."

"Okay."

He wandered off towards Cabin Three, leaving Annabeth to make her plans alone.

Of course, then the raid had been a disaster. They'd eventually managed to destroy the half dozen _empousai _there, way less than they'd expected, but not without sustaining some injuries. Annabeth's side still ached when she twisted the wrong way, even after nearly a week. Then she'd gone immediately on that other epic fail of a raid, then she and Percy had that huge blow up, then he'd left again, and she hadn't seen him until today. Meanwhile, the calendar had turned from July to August, inching closer to Percy's sixteenth birthday.

Annabeth sighed as she tried again to focus her attention on her laptop and the mountain of files it contained. It _was _important work and needed to get done. But she'd been working all afternoon. Her mind was starting to rebel, wandering off in different directions. A couple of times she found herself staring into space, hearing Percy's voice again: _I would never break your confidence, Annabeth…it's just between you and me_. She appreciated that at least he'd been honest with her about talking to Rachel. And she could admit, grudgingly, that part of her understood Rachel's curiosity about their other quests. She _had _been with them in the Labyrinth last year. It was natural to want to know more about this world of gods and monsters.

_Just between you and me_. Percy's words also made Annabeth think, a little guiltily, of the things she hadn't told him. Like about Luke's visit last year. Or the full prophecy, which Chiron still insisted Percy wasn't ready to hear yet. Annabeth wasn't sure she agreed with that. It was now August, after all. They were running out of time.

She shook her head. With a serious amount of determination, she focused her attention back on the laptop screen and her pile of notes.

Plan 23 caught her eye again. It gave instructions for activating a secret army of automatons in multiple cities spread across the country. She shuddered at the thought. It wasn't quite as intense as Plan 42, which involved demolition with controlled explosives (she and Beckendorf had referenced that one when working out the _Princess Andromeda _logistics), but it was still incredibly risky. Of course, all of it was risky. Wars were risky.

Annabeth sat back, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. Her head was swimming with complex schematics and blueprints. There was so much on Daedalus's laptop she wondered if she'd ever be able to make sense of it all.

"Knock knock."

Annabeth opened her eyes to see Percy standing in the cabin doorway. "Hi," she said, slightly surprised, but pleased that he'd sought her out.

"Hey." Percy stayed in the doorway, since none of the other Athena kids were in the cabin right now and camp rules dictated that a non-related boy and girl couldn't be alone together in a cabin. Chiron was cracking down hard on that rule this summer after several, ahem, incidents with Silena and Beckendorf. Percy tapped his fingers against his leg and glanced at her laptop. "I was just checking to see if maybe you wanted a break."

"Actually, I would love one." Annabeth shut her laptop and stood up, stretching to get the kinks out of her back. "What did you have in mind?"

Percy shrugged. "Want to make a run on the lava wall? Just for fun?"

"Sure." She smiled at him as she gathered her hair into a quick messy bun. She'd discovered the hard way that this was the safest option for the lava-spewing climbing wall.

"Cool." Percy's troublemaker smile lit up his face, making Annabeth's heart do cartwheels. "Unless, you know, you're afraid of getting beat."

"Not a chance, Jackson." She shoved his chest lightly as she passed him in the doorway.

He raised his eyebrows. "We'll see."

No one else was at the climbing wall this evening. It was late enough that most of the other campers were already heading to the amphitheater for the campfire and singalong. But the sun hadn't completely set yet, because summer, so there was plenty of light for climbing. They set the wall on level 8—challenging but not totally deadly. This was for fun, after all.

"Ready…" Annabeth said, "…set…go!"

They took off up the wall.

Percy had the longer reach, so he took an early lead, but Annabeth was quicker. By the time they were halfway up, she'd closed the gap. By three-quarters, she'd pulled a couple feet ahead. It probably helped that Percy lost precious seconds dodging a sudden lava waterfall.

Earthquake mode kicked in, making the wall tremble and shake. Staying on now took extra concentration, but Annabeth enjoyed the challenge. She was only three feet from the top when she heard Percy yelp. When she looked down, her heart constricted. He was dangling by one hand from a narrow ledge. Judging from his smoking sneaker, he'd slipped on a lava flow and lost his footing.

"Hold on!" She scrambled diagonally down the wall. Bracing herself as firmly as possible against the shaking rock, she reached toward him. "Take my hand."

Percy managed to swing himself around and grab her outstretched hand. She gripped his fingers, trying to support at least some of his weight as he struggled and finally managed to get his feet back under him. This was made more difficult by the fact that the wall was now in full-on earthquake mode.

"I'm good," he finally shouted over the rumbling. He squeezed her fingers and she let go.

They climbed the last few feet together, making it to the top at the same time. The wall gave a final rumble, then stilled. They sat side by side, perched on the top with their legs dangling over the side, a little out of breath. Their clothes might have been slightly charred too.

"I guess it was a tie," Annabeth said finally.

Percy shook his head. "Nah, I would have fallen off if you hadn't come back to help me. Technically, I think that means you won."

"Alright." She agreed so easily Percy looked startled. Then she laughed and, after a moment, he did too. She nudged him with her shoulder. "Good race, though."

"Definitely." He grinned. "And thanks for giving me a hand."

"Anytime."

They sat in companionable silence, watching the sunset paint the sky over the Sound. Their hands were so close that Percy's pinkie finger just lightly brushed hers. Annabeth wasn't inclined to move. It reminded her of the Fourth of July fireworks, when he'd actually taken the plunge and reached for her hand about halfway through the show. When he walked her back to her cabin that night, she'd kissed him on the cheek, and for a few hours she'd thought maybe…. But they'd gone on a messy raid the next day and basically everything got complicated again. That pretty much just seemed to be their luck.

Now, Percy moved his hand and Annabeth's heart dropped. But he was just pointing out at the Sound. "Look, hippocampi."

Her eyes followed where he was pointing. Sure enough, a pair of hippocampi were leaping out of the water and splashing back down, their rainbow tails sparkling.

"Oh wow," Annabeth breathed. "They're beautiful."

"Yeah," Percy agreed.

Then she thought of how they often came to Percy for help. "Do they need something?"

"Nah, they're just playing." He dropped his hand so it was resting beside hers once more. With the breeze ruffling his dark hair and his eyes bright as he gazed out to sea, Percy looked so relaxed. And really, really cute.

Gods, she wanted to kiss him.

Annabeth nervously licked her lips and started to say, "Percy," but then she stopped. _The hero's soul cursed blade shall reap_. Percy turned to her, his green eyes practically glowing in the sunset. _A single choice shall end his days_. Her courage failed her. Instead, she said, "Thanks for asking me to come out here. I needed the break."

Was that a flicker of disappointment she saw in his eyes? But then he smiled and said, "No problem. I needed it too." He looked down, as if thinking about what to say next. Their hands were just barely touching again. "Listen, Annabeth," her heart started to race as he paused, then blurted out, "are we okay?"

She knit her brow. "What do you mean?"

He gulped, then said, "I just know this summer's been hard and things are complicated or whatever, but I just want to make sure…I mean…"

_Spit it out, Seaweed Brain_, she wanted to say, but she kept quiet and waited as he took a deep breath and said, very fast, "We're still friends, right?"

_Friends_. Her heart thudded at the word. It took all her willpower to clamp her lips shut over the frustration and hurt. But she managed because she understood what he was asking. It felt like they'd spent half the summer arguing with each other. And as the war ramped up, moments like this had become more and more rare. It didn't help that Percy kept running back to the city. But she pushed that particular strain of bitterness away. Because all that really mattered, at the core of everything, was the truth she told him now. "Of course we're still friends, Seaweed Brain. That never changes."

His sudden smile made her feel light-headed. "Good. Because I can't do this without you. Uh, I mean, fight the war and stuff. And I wouldn't want to."

She slipped her hand into his. It felt easy and natural, like on Charon's ferry or when they'd first fallen into the Labyrinth. They were once again facing something frightening and unknown. They both knew what might happen in the next couple weeks before August eighteenth. But at least they could face it together, like they had everything else. "We're a team, Percy. You know I've always got your back." _Even when you're infuriating_, she thought but didn't say.

She was glad she'd kept that thought to herself when he squeezed her hand and said, "Ditto."

An ocean breeze cut through the humid air. Sunset tinted Long Island Sound orange. Strains of music drifted over from the amphitheater, where the campfire was starting. Annabeth met Percy's eyes as they sat there alone on the top of the climbing wall, holding hands. For one moment, it wasn't complicated at all.

Then the wall rumbled and shook. Percy let go of her hand to grab the edge and keep from tumbling off. Shouting and squeals rang out from the amphitheater, briefly drowning the music. Percy met her eyes again, but obviously the moment was gone. He grinned apologetically. "Sounds like a marshmallow fight breaking out over there."

"We should probably join them. Race you to the bottom?"

"You're on, Wise Girl."

And she laughed because he hadn't called her that in years, but she didn't mind. She swung off the ledge and started climbing down, getting a tiny head start.

"Hey!" Percy protested, then scrambled after her.

Annabeth won, barely.

"Cheater," Percy grumbled, but he didn't look mad.

"Strategy," she corrected. "You have to know your opponent's weakness."

"Oh yeah?" His sarcastic smirk was almost endearing. "So what's my weakness?"

"You assumed I wouldn't cheat."

"So you admit it!" he said triumphantly.

"What? Can't hear you!" She took off running toward the campfire.

"Annabeth!" Percy came after her, but didn't catch her until they reached the tunnel into the amphitheater. She shrieked when he grabbed her around the waist from behind, but he let go quickly when they were both pelted with marshmallows thrown with deadly accuracy by Michael Yew.

"New targets!" the Apollo counselor shouted. After that, Annabeth lost track of pretty much everything except dodging sticky projectiles while scooping up marshmallows to chuck at people.

But when things settled down, Percy sat beside her for the singalong. Her s'more had never tasted so good.

Maybe things weren't easy and maybe they still had a long way to go before this war was over. But tonight, Annabeth let herself relax. For the moment, life was good at Camp Half-Blood.

* * *

*****Because there had to be some moments where it looked like maybe they'd get past the strangling each other phase, right? Hope you enjoyed the story! Thanks for reading!*****


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